The spot’s beginning is intense and disorienting—a series of close-up shots put the viewer in the boy’s headspace. Accompanied by sound design to feel like a held breath—which is exactly how one feels when coming out. Heightening the story are micro-details, like the close-up of the leg shaking. The boy’s shaky, Americanized Mandarin delivery versus the crisp exchanges from his parents.

Messy teenager hair is a thread through the spot. You first see a picture on the fridge of the mother fixing her son’s cowlick. It gets echoed at the end when she tosses his hair, making it messy. It’s a subtle gesture of acceptance that says: “You’re good just as you are.”

The camera on the son at the end, to capture his realization of his mother’s sacrifice—instead of showing Grandma explicitly—makes it clear this story is about the bond between mother and son.